It's about time the government opens up to the idea of foreign competitors. We already have it in "monopolistic" industries like financial services and telecommunications so I don't see why we can't have more airline competition. There isn't adequate competition right now, given that we only have one major full-service airline and a bunch of smaller "cheap" airlines. What we need is more full-service competition to truly keep AC on its toes. I'm willing to admit that if AA began flying domestic routes like YYZ-YUL, I'd be the first one to fly them.
While the Liberals were against the idea of cabotage when they suspended the competition laws in mid-1999, the Canadian Alliance was always open to increased airline competition. (It's on page 13 of their election platform) One of the reasons why I support the Canadian Alliance is because of their pro-competitive transportation policies.
It should be interesting to see what will become of this Transport Canada report. There are many angry MPs who are frustrated with the current levels of service. Stay tuned
